Mr Jacob Nathan is unknown and unheard of
in modern Plymouth: you will not find a road or street that
recalls his name. Yet he gave a large sum of money to the
deserving causes of Plymouth and ensured that they included not
just those of a Jewish/Hebrew character but any organisation
that offered help to others, including animals. The following
can but tell only a part of the full story.

By his will dated January 15th 1864, proved
at Exeter on June 3rd 1867, Mr Jacob Nathan bequeathed the
following sums, all free of duty, to the organisations and
charities indicated:

£19 19s to the Plymouth
Branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Animals; and

£19 19s to the Plymouth
Soup Kitchen.

The £400 given to the Hebrew
Congregation was to be distributed annually as follows:

£2 on the first day of the
Jewish Year;

£2 on the eve of the Day of
Atonement;

£2 on the eve of the Day of
Tabernacles;

£4 on the eve of the Days
of Passover;

and £2 on the eve of the
Day of Pentecost.

Mr Abraham Ralph, Mr Eleazer Emdon and
Mr Asher Levy were trustees.

Unfortunately the course of
righteousness does not run smoothly and the bequest was the
subject of some legal actions. One queried whether the £200
should be paid direct to the
South Devon & East Cornwall Hospital or if it should be
retained by the trustees and the income paid to the Hospital;
another action queried if the £50 for the Plymouth Humane
Society should be paid to the Port of Plymouth Swimming
Association and Humane Society instead. Other actions
questioned the legacies for the female homes and yet another
whether the £50 should have continued to go to the
Plymouth Ragged School when it ceased to be a day school in
January 1897. Most of these actions were resolved amicably by
an Order of the Court of Chancery dated November 1st 1907 but
the Plymouth Industrial Society and the Plymouth Benevolent
Society had ceased to exist by that time.

Mr Nathan also left a house in Hoe
Street, then in the occupation of a Mr Congdon, to Mr Abraham
Ralph only on condition that he should allow the master of the
School to occupy two rooms as his residence and another property
in Well Street to be fitted out as the School itself.

This gives a flavour of the Mr Jacob
Nathan's Charities but more details will be added in due course.